Birbal Stories: Birbal Betrays Himself
(Najamuddin Ghanghro, Karachi ( Original from Larkana))
Let us enjoy reading this one
of Birbal Stories of Birbal Betrays Himself.
Birbal was missing. He and the emperor had a quarrel and Birbal had stormed out
of the palace vowing never to return.
Now Akbar missed him and wanted him back but no one knew where he was.
Then the emperor had a brainwave. He offered a reward of 1000 gold coins to any
man who could come to the palace observing the following condition. The man had
to walk in the sun without an umbrella but he had to be in the shade at the same
time.
"Impossible," said the people.
Then a villager came carrying a string cot over his head and claimed the prize.
"I've walked in the sun but at the same time I was in the shade of the strings
of the cot," he said.
It was a brilliant solution. On interrogation the villager confessed that the
idea had been suggested to him by a man living with him.
"It could only be Birbal!" said the emperor, delighted.
Sure enough it was Birbal and he and the emperor had a joyous reunion.